The quality of your leaders impacts everything – culture, decision making, creativity and innovation, employee retention, productivity – everything. Your leaders are arguably the most important factor influencing organizational performance, and investing in their development is worth it… if it is the right investment. The quality of leader development programs varies widely across the industry. Sending your people to programs run by prestigious academic institutions or name-brand consultancies does not guarantee your people will find them valuable.
So, how do you know if a leader development program will truly make an impact?
It’s time to look past the eye-catching brochures, the canned testimonials, and the bold statistics that imply quality can be measured by participant satisfaction. The key is to look at the actual architecture and methodologies that underpin the programs.
Below are six differentiators that should serve as your initial litmus test to determine if a leader development program will deliver the outcomes your people need to move your organization forward.
- Is the Program Rooted in an Approach Supported by Research and Practice? There is a lot of misinformation out there. People can make spectacular claims with little evidence to support those claims and then package them up into colorful models with a catchy acronym. This “leadership snakeskin oil” is widespread and incredibly profitable for charlatans who sell millions in assessments, packaged courses, and best-selling books. Look for a program that is rooted in a conceptual framework or approach that has concrete evidence of producing outcomes that would meaningfully impact the performance of an organization like yours.
- Is the Program Custom-Built to Your Needs? There is indeed nothing new under the sun regarding the challenges that leaders face. However, it’s also true that you have a unique context with a unique set of leaders who have a unique set of needs. If a vendor’s idea of customization is changing their materials to your branding colors, then it’s time to ask thoughtful questions early in your interactions to truly understand your challenge and your leaders. If they are actively seeking a new vendor, find a provider who will address your needs with a tailored solution.
- Is the Program Built by Adult Learning Experts Who Understand Your Business? “Education” is not the same as “learning.” Education focuses on the acquisition of new information, and it is an integral part of Leader Development Programs. Education is necessary, but it is insufficient if “learning” does not occur. Learning is fundamentally about changing behavior, and quality experts in adult learning know how to design an experience that drives sustained behavior change back in the flow of work. Make sure the individuals building your program have expertise in driving this type of behavior change through experiential learning methods. It’s a tall order, but if you want to take your leader development to the next level, find a provider whose adult learning experts are not only steeped in that field but also have the willingness and capability to understand your business so that their program design will be laser-focused on delivering your business objectives.
- Is the Program Focused on the Unique Set of Capabilities Needed by Your Business? There are an infinite number of skills, competencies, and behaviors that a Leader Development Program could address, but there are only a few specific capabilities that will have a disproportionate impact on your business. A program with a prescribed list of capabilities covered or an extensive “buffet menu” of topics to choose from should send up a red flag. Look for a provider that has a rigorous approach to identifying (with you) those key capabilities that you need to ensure every moment that your leaders engage in the program is directed toward building the type of leaders that can execute your strategy now and into the future.
- Is the Program Delivered by Skilled Facilitators Who Were Also High-Level Leaders Themselves? Professional facilitators are highly skilled at generating dynamic conversations and sharing compelling concepts and research. This capability is essential for a great learning experience; however, if these facilitators do not have firsthand experience to draw from, their impact will always be limited (particularly with more senior audiences). Find a provider whose facilitators can drive meaningful discussions and have impressive resumes from business, military, or government who have the credibility to speak from their own experience in the trenches.
- Is the Program Accompanied by a Targeted Measurement Strategy? Post-session surveys that measure participants’ enjoyment are valuable data to collect, but it is essential not to conflate enjoyment with value. Many of the most transformational moments in our lives are certainly not enjoyable, and yet, that is when we have truly learned the most important lessons. Great programs begin their design with the end in mind. They are focused on achieving specific and concrete changes in behavior that will impact the success of the organization. Look for a provider who will craft a targeted measurement strategy to monitor those specific changes directly or indirectly to ensure that the program is working as intended. Leader development programs cost far too much time and money to hope you see a noticeable change in the future.
Leader development programs are absolutely worth every penny…if you invest in a quality program. Look for these six differentiators to ensure you have the right program in place that will build a pipeline of leaders who will lead your organization into a successful future.
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